Podcasts about corinthian christians

     Christians are instructed, “do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness” (Rom 6:12-13a), “flee sexual immorality” (1 Cor 6:18), “he who steals must steal no longer” (Eph 4:28), “let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth” (Eph 4:29), “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God” (Eph 4:30), “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Th 5:19), put aside “anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth” (Col 3:8), “abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul” (1 Pet 2:11), “make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler” (1 Pet 4:15), “do not love the world nor the things in the world” (1 John 2:15), and “little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). These commands would be pointless if it were not possible for Christians to commit all these sins. It is never the will of God that we sin (1 John 2:1), but if we sin, and “there is no man who does not sin” (1 Ki 8:46), it is God's will that we confess our sins (1 John 1:9), accept responsibility for our actions, and get back to learning God's Word (2 Tim 2:15; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18), living by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38), and pursuing holiness (1 Pet 1:15-16), and righteousness (1 Tim 6:11; 2 Tim 2:22). Consequences for Sin      It is difficult for some to understand, but when Christians sin, we are not in danger of condemnation (Rom 8:1; 35-39), we do not forfeit the free gift of eternal life (John 10:28; Rom 3:24; 6:23), and we do not cease to possess the righteousness of God that was given to us at the moment of faith in Christ (Rom 5:17; Phil 3:9). When Christians sin, we are walking in darkness and have broken fellowship with God (1 John 1:5-6), and stifle the work of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (Eph 4:30; 1 Th 5:19). If we continue in sin, or leave our sin unconfessed, we are in real danger of divine discipline from God (Psa 32:3-5; Heb 12:6; 1 John 5:16-17; cf. Dan 4:37). Even though David was forgiven for his sin with Bathsheba (2 Sam 12:13), he still faced earthly consequences that impacted him and his family (2 Sam 12:10-14). Serious sin, and ongoing sin, can eventuate in divine discipline to the point of physical death (1 John 5:16; cf., Lev 10:1-2; Acts 5:3-5; 1 Cor 11:30), as well as the loss of eternal rewards (1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 John 1:8). These are serious punishments by the Lord which impact a  believer in time and eternity; however, the sinning saint is not in danger of losing salvation.[1] The Way of Righteousness      As Christians, God calls us to “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Tim 2:22; cf. 1 Tim 6:11), to “present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom 6:13b), and to “present your members as slaves to righteousness” (Rom 6:19a). Addressing the Christians at Ephesus, Paul wrote, “you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light, for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Eph 5:8-10). Peter also wrote, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Pet 2:24a). Righteous living—that's what God desires from us. He wants our thoughts, words, and actions to align with His righteous character and written Word as it applies to us as Christians. But this requires positive volition and a commitment to the Lord (Rom 12:1-2), to learn His Word (2 Tim 3:16-17; 1 Peter 2:2) and live His Word by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38).      As Christians, God has done everything for us to live spiritually successful lives (i.e., giving a new nature, the Holy Spirit, and divine revelation). But God does not force us to live spiritually, as we must choose to live out the new life. And, like Solomon, we are always in danger of being corrupted by others (1 Cor 15:33), by Satan's world-system (1 John 2:15-16), and our fleshly natures within (Rom 13:14; Col 3:9; Gal 5:16-17; 1 John 1:8). To be faithful to the Lord to the end of our days (as God directs), one needs thinking that is properly calibrated according to Scripture (Rom 12:1-2). God has already blessed us with everything we need to live spiritually (Eph 1:3), but it's up to us to lay hold of what He's provided and to advance to spiritual maturity.      The successful Christian life starts with positive volition. Jesus said, “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself” (John 7:17). The word “willing” translates the Greek verb thelō (θέλω), which means “to desire to have or experience something.”[2] To be “willing” to know and do God's will is the starting place for our advance to spiritual maturity. Our next step is to dig into God's Word and learn it. Jeremiah expressed positive volition when he said, “Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jer 15:16a). A psalmist wrote, “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psa 119:103), and “The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces” (Psa 119:72). Peter wrote, “like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Pet 2:2). Learning God's Word serves as the basis for right living (Rom 12:1-2). But once we learn it, we must walk in it, which means applying it to our life, and this by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6). Ezra is a good example of a believer who learned and lived God's Word, as it is written, “Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). This is the proper order. When a Christian has a right will (orthothely), and operates with right thinking (orthodoxy), it establishes the basis for right behavior (orthopraxy). Positive volition, divine viewpoint thinking, and the walk of faith is what the Lord wants.      As God's people, let us constantly learn His Word (Psa 1:2-3; Ezra 7:10; 2 Tim 2:15; 1 Pet 2:2), recalibrate our thinking to align with Scripture (Rom 12:1-2), discipline our minds (2 Cor 10:5), live by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6), confess our sins as needed (1 John 1:9), be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18), walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16), submit ourselves to the Lord (Jam 4:7), do good (Gal 6:10), serve others (Phil 2:3-4), rejoice always (1 Th 5:16), pray without ceasing (1 Th 5:17), be thankful in everything (1 Th 5:18), maintain fellowship with other Christians (Heb 10:25), share our wealth to promote Christian ministry (1 Tim 6:17-19), and advance to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1). If we do this, we'll glorify the Lord, bless others, and live righteously as God's expects. Conclusion      In conclusion, we must be clear: eternal life is secured by grace through faith in Christ, not by perseverance in works or moral consistency. Though a true believer may tragically fall into grievous sin—like Solomon, David, or the Corinthian Christians—their eternal security remains anchored in the unchanging promises of God and the finished work of Christ (John 10:28; Rom 8:1). What is at stake is fellowship with God in time, our witness before others, spiritual fruitfulness, eternal rewards, and divine discipline that can range from loving correction to severe consequences (1 Cor 3:15; 11:30-32; Heb 12:6). We do not minimize the seriousness of sin, but neither should we confuse it with a loss of salvation. Instead of living in fear of condemnation, we should be motivated by love, gratitude, and reverence to walk in obedience and grow in grace (2 Pet 3:18). Let us pursue righteousness—not to keep what was never ours to earn—but to honor the One who saved us, and to reflect His character in this fallen world. Steven R. Cook, D.Min, M.Div., B.Sc.     [1] Even when the prodigal son lived in the world (Luke 15:11-13), and though he lived like an unbeliever, he never ceased to be a son (Luke 15:14-16), and when he came to his senses and returned home (Luke 15:17-19), his father recognized him as his son and welcomed him back (Luke 15:20-24). A child of God is always a child of God, even if we fall into worldly living. [2] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 287.

     The Corinthian Christians were undeniably saved, as Paul calls them saints (1 Cor 1:2) and brethren (1 Cor 3:1). Yet, they exhibited a persistent pattern of carnality, evidenced by their divisive behavior, internal conflicts, and failure to mature spiritually. Paul rebuked them for their immaturity and misguided allegiance to human leaders, which had fractured the church into competing factions (1 Cor 1:10-13). He then directly addressed their spiritual condition, describing them as “men of flesh” (1 Cor 3:1), signifying their prolonged carnality. He writes, “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able” (1 Cor 3:2). This was an embarrassing reality for the Corinthians, for by the time Paul wrote to them, they should have progressed further in their spiritual walk. He then laments their ongoing carnality, declaring, “for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?” (1 Cor 3:3). The phrase “you are still fleshly” (ἔτι γὰρ σαρκικοί ἐστε, eti gar sarkikoi este) uses the present indicative, indicating a continued state of carnality. Here, the present tense describes customary or habitual action. Wallace notes, “The customary present is used to signal either an action that regularly occurs or an ongoing state.”[1] The Christians at Corinth were habitually driven by the flesh rather than the Spirit. This confirms that their failure to mature spiritually was not due to a temporary lapse but an entrenched pattern of behavior. Had their sinful patterns been proof of lostness, Paul would have addressed them as unbelievers needing salvation rather than carnal believers needing correction. Paul does not suggest they should question their salvation; rather, he exhorts them toward spiritual growth and maturity. The solution is not introspective doubt but a call to align their practice with their position in Christ.[2]      Several of the seven churches in Revelation (Rev 2-3) exhibited patterns of habitual sin, as evidenced by Jesus' rebukes. The church in Ephesus, though commended for its hard work and perseverance, was rebuked by Jesus, who said, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Rev 2:4). The phrase “you have left” translates the Greek verb aphekas (ἀφῆκας), which is in the aorist tense, indicating a decisive act in the past. These believers had, at some point, turned away from their original love for Christ, and the context suggests they had not yet returned to it.      Pergamum, while faithful to Christ's name under persecution, tolerated the false teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans, which led to idolatry and sexual immorality within the congregation (Rev 2:14-15). Jesus said, “I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality” (Rev 2:14). The word “hold” translates the Greek kratountas (κρατοῦντας), which is a present participle, denoting ongoing adherence to false doctrine. This wasn't a one-time deviation but an entrenched pattern that led to idolatry and immorality.      Thyatira, despite its love and perseverance, was rebuked for tolerating “the woman Jezebel,” whose false teachings encouraged sin through idolatry and immorality (Rev 2:20-21). Jesus said, “I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols” (Rev 2:20). The word “tolerate” translates the Greek verb apheis (ἀφεῖς), which is a present active indicative, indicating that the church at Thyatira habitually permitted Jezebel's corrupting influence.      Jesus called each of these churches to repent. To the church at Ephesus, He said, “Remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first” (Rev 2:5). Thomas notes, the church “had simply lost their bearings, like the prodigal son, and needed to regain them.”[3] Repentance (metanōeō) meant they were to recalibrate their thinking according to God's standard and redirect their behavior to righteous living. Repentance, according to Thomas, “Calls for a decisive change of attitude with its resultant action. It is a reversal of the status quo, a deliberate repudiation of former sins and a complete return to the standards and will of God. It is an appeal to begin at this moment a complete change. It calls for a quick and effective decision.”[4] Similar exhortations were given to Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodicea, urging them to change their minds and turn from their habit of sin and return to faithful obedience (Rev 2:16, 2:22, 3:3, 3:19). Jesus' warnings reveal the serious consequences of habitual sin, including loss of fellowship, diminished spiritual vitality, and potential divine discipline. Jesus said, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore, be zealous and repent” (Rev 3:19; cf. Heb 12:6). Habitual sin does not jeopardize salvation, which is secured by Christ's finished work. Instead, believers are called to address their spiritual failures through humble submission and reliance on God's grace, restoring their walk with Him through confession (1 John 1:9) and obedience (Jam 1:22). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics - Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (Zondervan Publishing House and Galaxie Software, 1996), 521. [2] The Corinthian church struggled with a variety of sins, including sexual immorality (1 Cor 5:1-2), lawsuits between believers, greed, and a lack of brotherly love (1 Cor 6:1-8). They also misused their Christian liberty, causing others to stumble, and dishonored the Lord's Supper by indulging selfishly and even getting drunk during the meal (1 Cor 8–10; 11:20-22). Additionally, their pride in spiritual gifts, especially tongues, led to disorder in worship, as they prioritized self-glory over the edification of the church (1 Cor 12–14). These recurring sins reflected an ongoing pattern of spiritual immaturity. [3] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 142. [4] Ibid., 142–143.

Today we’re going to look at chapters 12, 13, and 14 of 1 Corinthians as a unit. We’ll see that the body analogy in 12, the love poem in 13, and the repeated concern for upbuilding in 14 are all slightly different angles of approach to the same goal. When the Corinthian Christians were getting together to worship, it was chaos. People were talking over each other, eager to manifest the holy spirit. Rather than telling them to cease from divine speech in the assembly, Paul instead focused their attention on the priority for being considerate of one another. Actually, he was way more radical than that, but I don’t want to give everything away in this little intro. You’ll just have to keep listening if you want to know more. Scriptures covered: 1 Corinthians 12:12-29; 13:1-13; 14:1-40   Listen on Spotify   Listen on Apple Podcasts —— Links —— See all the episodes in this class: 1 Corinthians in Context Check out Sean’s other classes here Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here Get Finnegan’s book, Kingdom Journey to learn about God’s kingdom coming on earth as well as the story of how Christianity lost this pearl of great price.

Paul's insistence to the Corinthian Christians to stop making themselves judges of each other. Only the Lord's judgment matters. They are living as if their wealth and status are all they need, while the apostles serve Christ in poverty and under persecution, imitating Christ. Paul urges them to change course and imitate his life.

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (04/22/25), Hank concludes his overview of the days of Holy Week, arriving at Pascha, also known as Easter. It is the day in which the body of Christ worldwide celebrates the ultimate game-changer, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. “If I face hardships in life for merely human reasons,” wrote Paul in his first letter to the Corinthian Christians, “what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.' If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” Without resurrection, Christianity crumbles. Thus, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the apostle Paul provides a four-part argument underscoring the irrevocable reality of Christ's resurrection. Of one thing Hank has become certain; if twenty-first-century Christians would grasp the reality of resurrection like first-century Christians did, their lives would be totally transformed.

Do you know what blows my mind? That with all the permissiveness and sinfulness of the Roman world, what the Corinthian Christians were doing shocked Paul. He said that the sexual immorality of one man among them was so bad that such was not even found among the gentiles. That’s quite an indictment! Today we’re going to cover 1 Corinthians 5 and the second half of chapter 6. Both of these have to do with sexual immorality and, as such, today’s content is not appropriate for children. We’re going to cover the incident where a man was with his father’s wife as well as Paul’s condemnation of those who indulged in the use of prostitutes. It’s going to be a spicy episode. Scriptures Covered: 1 Corinthians 5.1-13; 6.12-20   Listen on Spotify   Listen on Apple Podcasts —— Links —— See all the episodes in this class: 1 Corinthians in Context Check out Sean’s other classes here Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here Get Finnegan’s book, Kingdom Journey to learn about God’s kingdom coming on earth as well as the story of how Christianity lost this pearl of great price.

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (12/20/24), Hank continues his special series leading up to Christmas Day featuring his acronym CHRISTMAS. Today he picks up with the third and fourth letters of the acronym, “R” and “I”. The “R” in CHRISTMAS of course refers to Resurrection. This is so transcendently important because, without the Resurrection of Jesus, there is little point in even discussing Christmas. As the Apostle Paul put it in a letter to the Corinthian Christians, “if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless” (1 Corinthians 15:17 NLT). In light of St. Paul's words, it is incumbent on us to demonstrate that the Christ of Christmas had the power to lay down His life, and the power to take it up again. The “I” in CHRISTMAS represents the Incarnation of Jesus Christ—the Incarnation that makes Resurrection possible. Jesus took on all the essential properties of human nature, but he did not take on that which is non-essential—namely sinful inclinations. In fact, as Adam was created without a proclivity towards sin, so the Second Adam was untainted by original sin.

11/26/24. Five Minutes in the Word scriptures for today: 1 Corinthians 9:2. Resources: enduringword.com; biblehub.com; logos.com; and Life Application Study Bible. Listen daily at 10:00 am CST on https://kingdompraiseradio.com. November 2021 Podchaser list of "60 Best Podcasts to Discover!" LISTEN, LIKE, FOLLOW, SHARE! #MinutesWord; @MinutesWord; #dailybiblestudy #dailydevotional #christianpodcaster #prayforpeace https://m.youtube.com/@hhwscott

Purpose statement: In the first century Church, worship was a spontaneous experience. The printed Bible didn't exist yet. The Corinthian Christians needed to wait on the Lord as the Holy Spirit swept through the church and their worship. All Christians were confident that whatever was spoken, sung, or taught was directly from God for the purpose of edifying, and building up the people and the church. What principles apply? What instructions and rules did Paul give in applying principles to the use of the spiritual gifts in worship? How did the Corinthians see themselves as pacesetters for truth? How do we see and experience worship today?

Episode Synopsis:The church in Corinth was plagued by factions.  One source of division was ethnicity–the church was made up of Jews, Greeks, Romans, and likely a number of other nationalities.  Then there were the factions formed by church members who identified with Paul, Peter, or Apollos, as their favorite teachers.  There were also deep cultural divisions between the wealthy and the poor who found it difficult to socialize with one another even within the body of Christ.  But in this section of Paul's Corinthian letter (chapter 8), we encounter yet another kind of division–that between the strong and the weak.The strong were those who understood that if God created all things, then the idols invented by pagans were nothing but lifeless statues, with assorted trinkets and amulets, and pointless ceremonies and useless sacrifices.  There is no occult reality behind these images and the temples which housed them.  Therefore, why should Christians not be free to eat the leftover meat and food which the pagans sacrificed to their imaginary gods.  The weak, on the other hand, were those who had trouble understanding how any Christian could eat food that had come remotely near a pagan feast or temple–seeing such food as possessing an occult reality. Paul warns the strong (who are correct about the falsity of pagan religion) not to attempt to coerce the weak to violate their consciences, as that might destroy the faith of those (the weak) who have not yet advanced in their knowledge of the Christian faith sufficiently to leave such concerns behind.  Until the weak Corinthian Christians gain sufficient knowledge to dismiss paganism as the mere superstition which it is, Paul challenges the strong to put the weak first and give up the freedom to eat all foods.  In light of the harm the strong can bring upon those weak in faith, Paul tells the strong that just because they are free to eat all things, doesn't mean that they should.  This is not about food but about the circumstances in which it is eaten.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Welcome to our current podcast series, "Christian Living In The Current of Culture," where we study the timeless and relevant truths of 1 Corinthians. Each week, we explore how the Apostle Paul's words guide us in navigating the complexities of living for Christ in today's world.This week, Thomas Terry brings us a message from 1 Corinthians 14:1-40 titled “Ordained Order”. In our text this morning, Paul writes to the Corinthian Christians to correct their thinking and practice of spiritual gifts. The gifts of tongues and prophecy are in mind here and both gifts are to be desired, then used to build up others. These gifts also must be used with order and restraint to create clarity, not confusion. 

Welcome to our current podcast series, "Christian Living In The Current of Culture," where we study the timeless and relevant truths of 1 Corinthians. Each week, we explore how the Apostle Paul's words guide us in navigating the complexities of living for Christ in today's world.This week, Andrey Gorban brings us a message from 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13 titled “Love: The More Excellent Way”. In our text this morning, Paul writes to the Corinthian Christians the details of what is means to love. This is sometimes referred to as the "Love Chapter", and is often read at weddings. The message of love is so important for us because love is more important that any accomplishments we may have in our Christian life. Anything done for Christ without love is actually nothing. Jesus is the epitome of love in that he died for us while we were yet sinners and he deals with us gently. Love must always be the standard we use to assess how we are doing in the Christian life. We must honestly ask ourselves "Am I doing all things in love?" While grace gifts will pass away in the heavenly kingdom, love will continue into eternity when we see the source of love face to face in Christ. This is what we are called to—love of God and love of our neighbor as supremely important and which can only be done by His power at work in us.

This Sunday we'll be continuing our study in 1 Corinthians, and once again, (actually, this warning will hold true until we get to chapter 8), we will be considering topics that are for mature ears – so plan accordingly with your kids. We'll be reading 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.Paul continues his corrections of the way the Corinthian Christians are carrying on, and in the section we'll be reading, he talks about the importance of our physical bodies. He starts out by qualifying (what obviously is) their statement of freedom in Christ. If you were to put this in your own words, how would you say it? What is the main emphasis when it comes to the freedoms we enjoy as Christians? If our spiritual journey isn't about keeping rules, what could govern our choices?Paul frames the last part of his argument using temple language and reminds us of our role as the temple of God on earth. What did the temple in Jerusalem represent? How can that be represented in how we live out our flesh and blood lives?It's a delicate topic, though one that is very relevant to our present day, and one that deserves our attention and adherence. I hope you can join us this Sunday as we examine this passage together!Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.

In our final teaching in our "Make Good Choices" series, we dive into Paul's teachings from 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, where he addresses the Corinthian church's misunderstandings about sexual ethics and freedom. We explore how Paul's ancient wisdom on the value of the body and the importance of love and responsibility in our choices can guide us in developing a healthy, God-centered sexual ethic today.

Have you shared God's love on the job lately? Sometimes it seems like the workplace is the last place we can talk about God or share our faith. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians that they were … a letter from Christ … written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3). We can be the word of the living God, a letter of love from Jesus to the people we work with, when we take time to let God's love shine through us. I've given you six ideas on how to do that already this week. Here are numbers 7 and 8. 7. Smile Are you aware your body language is louder than the words you speak? It's true, and so we can send messages of love without saying a word. Smiling is surely one of the easiest and most effective ways to do that. All of us can smile; doesn't cost a thing; doesn't take any time. You just have to remember to do it. Proverbs reminds us a cheerful look brings joy to the heart (Proverbs 15:30.) Why don't we work harder at smiling more? I'm not advocating phony, insincere smiles, but many of us just need to work at smiling more. We feel smiles on the inside, but don't show them on our faces. That's my problem, I know, so I really try to remember to smile more. You may have been born with a smile on your face, so it comes easy for you. But some of us need to remember to smile, because it brings joy to the heart, and it shares a little of God's love with others. 8. Do the “dirty work” sometimes, even if it's not your job. There are always those things that need to be done in a workplace environment that nobody really wants to do. They aren't in anyone's job description. Things like cleaning the kitchen or making the coffee; cleaning up after a meeting or tidying up the general work area. In smaller workplaces, it might be taking out the trash or taking the mail to the post office. If you just do those things occasionally, without being asked and without grumbling, it would be a good way to show a loving, caring attitude toward the people you work with and for. Too often we think the only way we can witness for Jesus is through the words we say—quoting Scripture or giving our testimony or explaining the four spiritual laws. And frankly, there are not many opportunities on any given day to do that. But there are countless ways to show the love of God through our actions and our attitudes. But we must be intentional about it.

A Sermon for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity 2 Corinthians 3:1-11 by William Klock One morning back in my Macintosh technician days my boss walked up and put a resume on my bench.  “Does this look suspicious or is it just me?” he asked.  He pointed to the guy's work history.  Every one of his previous employers was defunct, but somehow he had the personal email address of every one of his old bosses.  If that wasn't odd enough, all of them had Yahoo and Hotmail email addresses using similar formats.  It was pretty obvious.  Every one of those email addresses was made up and would just go back to him and he could write his own references. Of course, the whole point of a reference is that someone—who is either known personally or known by reputation—someone else is vouching for you.  They did this in Paul's world just like we do today.  Jews, especially in the diaspora, would carry letters of recommendation indicating that other Jews could trust them.  In the pagan Greco-Roman world it was common for your patron to supply you with a letter of recommendation.  But writing your own recommendation, well, that kind of misses the whole point.  But that seems to be what the Corinthians are accusing Paul of doing in today's Epistle.  They read parts of his first epistle to them—parts like Chapter 9 where he defends himself as an apostle—and they took it as inflated self-commendation.  But now, people in Corinth have been making false accusations against him too, so he's going to have to do the same thing all over again.  We can hear his frustration as he writes to them, beginning Chapter 3 of Second Corinthians:   So, we're starting to “recommend ourselves” again, are we?  Or perhaps we need—as some do—official references to give to you?  Or perhaps even from you?   Maybe he should get one of his other churches—maybe the brothers and sisters in Ephesus—to write him a letter, vouching for him.  But Paul shouldn't have to do that.   Paul had a difficult relationship with the Corinthians.  When he left them in ad 50, the church was very supportive of him and his mission, but over the next several years their attitude towards him soured.  The church grew, new preachers arrived, attitudes changed.  Paul wrote to intervene in their struggles over leadership and to rebuke them for allowing pagan idolatry and immorality to get a foothold in the congregation.  They patted themselves on the back for being free in the Messiah and Paul rebuked them saying that this isn't what freedom in the Messiah means.  Of course, they didn't appreciate Paul's rebukes and so he became persona non grata in Corinth.  He wrote to them and they responded with a “Thanks, but no thanks, Paul.” So Paul responds sort of facetiously: “Am I going to need a recommendation before you'll listen to me?”  That would be a bit like telling our bishop that he needs a recommendation from some other church before we'll let him visit or preach here.  Others might have shaken the dust from their shoes at that point and left the ingrates in Corinth to themselves, but not Paul.  He has a pastor's heart.  He cares too much for them.  And he answers not to them, but to Jesus.  I don't think they actually asked for a letter of recommendation, but he offers one anyway—but not like any other—because Paul knew that the gospel commends itself.  So he writes to them: You yourselves are our letter… They rejected him.  They've told him not to come around and not to write to them anymore to give advice.  They've disrespected and insulted him.  And Paul writes: I don't need a letter of recommendation to prove my credentials as an apostle and servant of Jesus.  I don't.  Because you people yourselves are my letter of recommendation.  You people, even though you've rejected me, you're the proof of my gospel credentials. You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all.  It's quite plain that you are a letter from the Messiah, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of beating hearts.   Brothers and Sisters, if that's not grace I don't know what is.  Paul doesn't need a letter written in ink on paper.  These messed up, confused, infuriating people are nevertheless filled with the life of the Spirit promised in the gospel.  For all their faults and for all their inability to see how they've been shaped by their culture in their rejection of him, their joy in the Lord and their hope in the good news is the result of Paul's ministry to them and that says everything about Paul that needs to be said.  Despite their imperfections and immaturity, their transformation by and their life in Jesus and the Spirit, make them his credentials. That's pretty astounding and it says something about the power of the gospel and Paul's expectation of its power to transform people, even when they looked hopeless and even when they're still far from perfect.  These were people he rebuked for putting the wisdom of the Greeks over the truth of the gospel.  These were people he rebuked for tolerating a church member who was sleeping with his step-mother.  These were people he rebuked for dragging each other through the courts, for divorce, for not treating each other as equals, for abusing spiritual gifts, for abusing the Lord's Supper, for having crazy, disordered worship.  The list is a long one.  And yet despite their multitude of failings, he says, “You want to see my credentials as a gospel minister, as an apostle?  You're it.”  Paul could see the gospel at work in them.  For all their faults, they were not the people they had once been.  As he had written to them in his first epistle, no one affirms that Jesus is Lord apart from the transforming work of the Spirit.  Paul could see through the flaws and immaturity and knew that they believed, that they loved Jesus, that they were full of the Spirit.  He had proclaimed the good news about Jesus to them and it had done its work, it was continuing to do its work, and he was confident, it would in time complete its work.  This is important.  Sometimes we look at other Christians or other churches and they're a mess and we're tempted to write them off completely.  Brothers and Sisters, be careful.  Is Jesus being proclaimed as Lord?  If he is, that means that the gospel and the Spirit are at work there.  Maybe the gospel and the Spirit have a lot of work yet to do.  The Corinthians needed correction—a lot of it.  But Paul didn't write them off.  They had the gospel.  These aren't the other folks Paul warns about who were preaching another, a different gospel.  That's a whole other problem.  But the Corinthians received the gospel and the gospel is a powerful thing.  It is the power of God to save.  Now, word of caution.  Their context was different from ours.  This was a first-generation church living in the days when these things were still being worked out.  We don't have that excuse today.  But still, no one, no church is perfect, but if the gospel is there, we should be confident that Jesus and the Spirit will be with a church to correct and to bring maturity. But how could Paul look at these messed up people in a messed up church and be so sure?  He could, because he knew that God is faithful.  Because he knew the story and because he knew the promises of God.  And so Paul reminds the Corinthians of Jeremiah 31 and of God's promise to Israel there.   In those days Israel was in exile.  Israel had been unfaithful to God.  She had been unfaithful to her covenant obligations.  She had refused to trust in his goodness and she had prostituted herself to foreign kings and to foreign Gods.  So the Lord had judged her and allowed the Babylonians to conquer her, to destroy Jerusalem, to tear the temple down to the ground, and to carry the people off into captivity, away from the land they'd been promised—and most importantly, away from his presence. But that was not the end.  Through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord promised the people that he would redeem them.  They may be covenant-breakers—like a cheating spouse—but he was not.  He would always be faithful to his promises.  And so one day he would restore Israel by establishing a new covenant.  There would be a new agreement between the Lord and his people.  There would be a new marriage between Israel and her Lord.  He had established the old covenant through Moses when he gave Israel his law, written on stone tablets.  But that law carved on stone did not have the power to give the people the real life they needed and that the Lord desired for them.  And so the Lord promised a new covenant that would restore Israel.  The new covenant would deal fully with the sins of the people—that's what the cross of Jesus is about.  And the new covenant would give the people the new life they needed in order to truly be the renewed people the Lord wanted them to be—to remake humanity into what we were meant to be—God giving his people his own life, transforming their hearts and minds in a way that the law written on stone was never able to do.  In this new covenant, the Lord promised through Jeremiah, he would write the law on their hearts—he would give his people his own Spirit. That was the story and that was the promise.  And when Paul looked at the Christians in Corinth, even though they were confused and muddled and had rejected him, he could write to them and say that they were his letter, they were his credentials, because the life of God's Spirit was evident in their life as a church.  They themselves were a letter from Jesus the Messiah.  The powerful work promised through Jeremiah and the other prophets was manifest in the amazing work that the Spirit had accomplished in them.  Think about that.  Some of them had been Jews—the same sort of Jews that Paul himself had been when he persecuted Jesus' people.  Some of them had been Greek pagans, worshipping idols, offering incense to Caesar, deeply involved in a degenerate culture.  But Paul had brought them the good news that Jesus is Lord.  He preached Jesus' death and resurrection.  And they had been transformed.  The Spirit had moved them to repentance and given them a totally new life.  The living God had written something powerful on their hearts and they would never be the same people again.  And the pagan world around them could see it even if these people couldn't see it themselves anymore.  Again, think about that.  Think about your own stories.  Think of the way you were once met with the good news.  Think of the forgiveness you have found at the cross.  Think of the new life Jesus has given you.  Just like the Corinthians, each of us has a long road ahead of us as we grow into a mature faithfulness to Jesus and his lordship, but Jesus has poured his Spirit into us. In our baptism he has plunged us into the Holy Spirit and we are not the people we once were—and neither were the Corinthians. And so Paul goes on, getting back to his credentials, writing in verses 4-6: That's the kind of confidence we have towards God, through the Messiah.  It's not as though we are qualified in ourselves to reckon that we have anything to offer on our own account.  Our qualification comes from God.  God has qualified us to be stewards of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit.  The letter kills, you see, but the Spirit gives life.   All the proof of Paul's faithfulness as a minister of the gospel, as a minister of God's new covenant is right there in the work accomplished in the Corinthians by Jesus and the Spirit.  It's not that Paul is competent himself.  He merely showed up in Corinth and preached the good news as he'd been called to do by Jesus himself.  But as a result of Paul preaching the good news of Jesus and the kingdom, God's new creation had unfolded right there in a powerful and very visible way.  The “letter”—the old law written on stone—brought death, but the Spirit now poured into these people had given them life.  In his resurrection Jesus unleashed life into the world.  All Paul did was preach that good news and where he did that the Spirit brought transformation—the Spirit brough the life promised by God all those centuries before. As frustrated as Paul was with the Corinthian Christians, the fact that they were Christians—well, Paul knew it was by the grace of God.  They'd been transformed and in that Paul saw the glory of God, the glory of the cross, the glory of gospel, the glory of Jesus and the Spirit.  Paul has been absolutely swept up and away by it all.  God's amazing faithfulness and his glory revealed in the cross and the empty tomb and in Jesus and the Spirit have captivated Paul.  It drives him on and it's the lens through which he sees literally everything.  But the Corinthians just aren't seeing it anymore.  They've been distracted by worldly things and by their petty disputes.  And so having declared how they themselves are the proof of God's faithfulness and the power of the gospel, in verse 7 he now goes on, trying to get them to look up again.  To forget the cheap and dingy things that have distracted them and to get them captivated again by the glory of what God has done in Jesus and the Spirit.  He says to them: Think about it: If the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came in glory, so glorious in fact that the children of Israel couldn't look at Moses because of the glory of his face—a glory that was to be abolished, how much more will the ministry of the Spirit come in glory?   From waxing eloquent about the glory of the new covenant, Paul takes them back to the dark days of the old.  And yet, as much as we might (and they) might think of the old covenant times, the time before Jesus and the Spirit, as dark, Paul reminds them of Moses face when he came down from Mt. Sinai with the law.  Moses had been in the presence of the Lord and he came down the mountain with his face radiating the Lord's glory.  It was so bright, so brilliant, so radiant of the holiness of God that the people pleaded with Moses to cover his face.  As glorious as it was, it was just too much for them to look upon. And Paul's point is this: If the law carved on stone came down from the mountain in such amazing glory, if the old covenant carried that much glory, how much more glorious is the ministry of the Spirit and God's new covenant with his people?  He goes on in verses 9-11: For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more does the ministry of justification abound in glory?  In fact, what used to be glorious has come in this respect to have no glory at all, because of the new glory which goes so far beyond it.  For if the thing which was to be abolished came with glory, how much more glory will there be for the thing that lasts?   Like the Christians of Ephesus who, in Revelation, are described as having lost their first love, the Corinthians had lost sight of the glory of the Holy Spirit's ministry.  It wasn't that they'd lost the Holy Spirit.  That's impossible.  It's the Spirit who binds us to Jesus, he's the one who unites us to his life, he's the one who renews our minds and regenerates our hearts, turning us from everything that is not Jesus and giving us the desire and the faith to take hold of Jesus with both hands.  You cannot be a Christian without the Holy Spirit.  But somehow they'd lost perspective.  The Spirit had empowered these people remarkably, they had no shortage of gifts, but they'd lost sight of the gospel, Jesus was no longer their centre, and they misused and abused those gifts.  And they'd slowly let the values of Greek culture creep in to displace a gospel-centred life.  Somehow they'd lost sight of the glory of God revealed in Jesus and the Spirit.  Does that sound familiar? Brothers and Sisters, we can all too easily fall prey to the same sorts of things.  Our own culture infiltrates the church in many, many ways.  It compromises our call to holiness and we become worldly in our living.  It creeps into our churches, too.  Our culture is overwhelmingly commercialistic, materialistic, and individualistic and too often, without even realizing it's happened, we start building our churches around these things.  We treat the gospel like a commodity to sell.  We displace it with programs and we tailor our preaching to appeal to our culture's self-centred individualism.  Programs can be good and useful in accomplishing the work of the church, but most of the time these days they're treated as sales tools.  But God doesn't give us programs.  He gives us his word.  Through the ministry of the Spirit he caused his word to be written by prophets, apostles, and evangelists so that we can know him and proclaim him to the world.  And in Jesus he sent his word to become flesh—not to give us programs or gimmicks or to tickle the itching ears of sinners—but to die for our sins and to rise again to unleash life into the world.  A church should never have its identity tied up with anything other than the gospel.  A church is a place where the word is faithfully preached and the sacraments faithfully administered.  That was the definition the Protestant reformers developed.  What constitutes a church?  A church is a body of believers that preaches the word and administers the sacraments.  But today it seems many preach everything but the word and the sacraments are often side-lined or even sometimes considered optional.  As ministers of the gospel, we—and that's both you and I—are not called to be flashy, we're not called to preach the pop-psychology and self-help that our culture obsesses over, we're not called to be motivational speakers, we're not called to preach health and wealth.  We're called to proclaim that Jesus has died and risen and that he is Lord.  We're called to summon the world to repentance before the throne of Jesus the Messiah.  And we're called to leave behind and to sacrifice everything that is not Jesus, everything that is not of his kingdom.  We're called to back-up our proclamation by living the life of the Spirit, by manifesting the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control that the Spirit bears in our lives.  We're called to live justly and to do mercy.  We're called to use the giftings of the Spirit not for our own ends, but for the sake of the gospel and for the well-being of the Church.  We're called to be gloriously counter-cultural: being poor in spirit, mourning sin, living in meekness, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, being merciful, and making peace—even when it means rejection and persecution.  As people filled with God's own Spirit, we are the earnest of God's promise and work of new creation.  By our preaching and by our lives, we're called to lift the veil on God's new creation, to pull God's future into the present so that the world can have a taste of it—and see the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord.  Brothers and Sisters, it's this Jesus-centred and Spirit-empowered life that manifests the glory of God to the world, that makes us the light of the world and the salt of the earth—that marks us out as the people of God. Let us pray:  Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve:  Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Saviour; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Summary: In 2 Corinthians 7, we consider lessons from the way Paul appeals to the Corinthian Christians to open their hearts and how he emphasizes their genuine repentance. Part of a series in the book of 2 Corinthians. Speaker: Bryant Bailles Passage: 2 Corinthians 7:2-16 Legal notice: Speakers here typically quote from the NASB, ESV or NKJV almost exclusively, and the respective copyright notices follow. Some occasionally quote from the King James Version, which is public domain (in the US). Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible) Copyright by The Lockman Foundation Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Paul addressed a sticky situation the Corinthian Christians were having concerning food sacrificed to idols. It was a "Food Fight!" not unlike some of the issues we in the church fight over today.

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (05/07/24), Hank concludes his overview of the days of Holy Week, arriving at Pascha, also known as Easter. It is the day in which the body of Christ worldwide celebrates the ultimate game-changer, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. “If I face hardships in life for merely human reasons,” wrote Paul in his first letter to the Corinthian Christians, “what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.' If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” Without resurrection, Christianity crumbles. Thus, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the apostle Paul provides a four-part argument underscoring the irrevocable reality of Christ's resurrection. Of one thing Hank has become certain; if twenty-first-century Christians would grasp the reality of resurrection like first-century Christians did, their lives would be totally transformed.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 — Believing there is no need for a savior is the greatest idol of all; it is the idol of self-satisfaction. The Bible declares that there are none who are righteous, not even one. As one faces the holiness of God, one finds themselves unsatisfied and deeply in need of change. Where, in this chaotic world, do sinners find hope? In this sermon on 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 titled “The Reality of Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that the gospel of Jesus Christ provides real hope. Too often, Christians focus on curing the symptoms of sin, but ignore the disease. They view Jesus as a helper, a mere counselor. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the hope of the Corinthian Christians was much more: they were washed. These early believers were sick with sin. The gospel did not merely treat symptoms; the gospel addressed the whole person. The gospel dealt with the disease. They were washed and changed. All today are sick with sin and need to be washed, sanctified, and set apart. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones not only exposes sin, but points the listener to the power provided in Jesus's name. Through the power of the gospel, all may be changed. Christians were once dead in their sins, but they have been washed clean.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 — Believing there is no need for a savior is the greatest idol of all; it is the idol of self-satisfaction. The Bible declares that there are none who are righteous, not even one. As one faces the holiness of God, one finds themselves unsatisfied and deeply in need of change. Where, in this chaotic world, do sinners find hope? In this sermon on 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 titled “The Reality of Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that the gospel of Jesus Christ provides real hope. Too often, Christians focus on curing the symptoms of sin, but ignore the disease. They view Jesus as a helper, a mere counselor. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the hope of the Corinthian Christians was much more: they were washed. These early believers were sick with sin. The gospel did not merely treat symptoms; the gospel addressed the whole person. The gospel dealt with the disease. They were washed and changed. All today are sick with sin and need to be washed, sanctified, and set apart. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones not only exposes sin, but points the listener to the power provided in Jesus's name. Through the power of the gospel, all may be changed. Christians were once dead in their sins, but they have been washed clean. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29

This morning we began a new series titled, Christian Living In The Current of Culture, preaching expositionally through Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians. This sermon titled “The People, Paul, & the Purpose For It All.” was preached by Pastor Thomas Terry from 1 Corinthians 1:1-3.This sermon laid the groundwork for coming months we will be preaching through the letter of First Corinthians. Corinth was the Roman gateway to Greece and a crossroads for people traveling all directions. This made Corinth a city and in turn made the church one that was wealthy and gifted. Even though this church was full of sin and messiness they were still God's church. Paul focused closely on preaching Christ to move the Corinthian Christians from the culture of Corinth to the cross of Christ. Paul was telling the Corinthians, you are members of God's church called to be different, called out from the world. As you approach this letter ask yourself whether your life looks like a Christian should look? And does your life reflect the truth of your identity, focused on remembering who you are and whose you are?

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 I wonder what you really make of your Christian brothers and sisters. Honestly. Let me suggest that you find them mixed. You feel incredibly close to some of them and know that you could share anything with them. And then there are others who you find hard work. You just don't easily see eye to eye with them. Their approach to life and the Lord is so different from yours. That was certainly Paul's experience! The Corinthian Christians were very mixed. Some were his close friends and others were doing everything they could to destroy his ministry. What I love about these verses is that Paul addresses the whole Church and celebrates the way in which God has blessed them – all of them. He is so gracious with his accusers and those who are trying to obstruct his ministry. He reminds them all that they are standing firm in Christ and can all be sure of God's blessings in the future. Paul speaks of the blessing of the Holy Spirit at work in every single believer. He says the Holy Spirit is like a seal of ownership upon them. Because they have received the Spirit, they can be absolutely sure that they belong to God. He tells them that the Holy Spirit is like a deposit, or down payment, which makes it absolutely certain that we will receive all of God's future blessings. It's easy to understand that Paul would say all those things about the people that he really liked in Corinth. But he
was affirming that they were God's true words about every single Christian, including those who were giving him such a hard time. That's grace, and I find that deeply moving. Question How will you pray today for those Christians to whom you find it hardest to relate? Prayer Thank you, loving Lord, that you are so generous and loving to every Christian, whether I get on well with them or not. Amen

Rev. Tom Eckstein, pastor at Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. St. Paul addresses some of the slogans being thrown around among the Corinthian Christians. The freedom of the Christian is not the only governing principle. Instead, Christians should shape their actions according to what is helpful and what will not enslave. Christians dare not be unconcerned with the life that we live in the body, for God will raise us bodily even as He raised Jesus bodily. For this reason, sexual immorality and prostitution have no place in the Christian life. The members of Christ must not join their bodies to the body of a prostitute. We are temples of the Holy Spirit, bought by the precious blood of Christ, so that we might honor Him. “Nothing But Christ Crucified” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the epistle of 1 Corinthians. In response to correspondence from the Christians in Corinth and reports about matters arising in the congregation, St. Paul writes to address various matters of Christian faith and life. Throughout it all, he directs our attention to the power and wisdom of God for our salvation: Christ crucified.

Rev. Zelwyn Heide, pastor at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Hannover, ND and Zion Lutheran Church in New Salem, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Corinthians 5:1-13. St. Paul turns to a report he has received concerning a case of sexual immorality happening among the Corinthian Christians. Although the particular sexual immorality would make even pagans blush, the Christians in Corinth are proud. St. Paul calls them to mourn this sin among them and remove the unrepentant man from their midst. This is done for the sake of the individual, so that in seeing that his unrepentant sin has cast him out of the Christian church, he would repent and seek Christ anew. This is done also for the sake of the whole congregation, so that the leaven of sin would not grow among them, but that they would live cleansed by Christ. Therefore, they must judge this evildoer according to the Word of Christ and cast him out from them as long as he continues to claim the name Christian while living without repentance. “Nothing But Christ Crucified” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the epistle of 1 Corinthians. In response to correspondence from the Christians in Corinth and reports about matters arising in the congregation, St. Paul writes to address various matters of Christian faith and life. Throughout it all, he directs our attention to the power and wisdom of God for our salvation: Christ crucified.

Rev. Dr. Christian Preus, pastor at Mount Hope Lutheran Church and School in Casper, WY, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Corinthians 1:10-17. St. Paul sets the stage for all of the matters of faith and life that he will address with the Corinthian Christians by calling them first to unite in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Factions have arisen within the congregation following after a particular preacher; these are out of place because Christ is not divided. He is the One crucified for sinners who has washed us clean in Holy Baptism. That Gospel is what Paul had proclaimed among the Corinthians while he had been among them. Christ crucified for sinners, and not any eloquent human wisdom of individual preachers, is God's true power at work among His people. “Nothing But Christ Crucified” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the epistle of 1 Corinthians. In response to correspondence from the Christians in Corinth and reports about matters arising in the congregation, St. Paul writes to address various matters of Christian faith and life. Throughout it all, he directs our attention to the power and wisdom of God for our salvation: Christ crucified.

Suffering with a Purpose (2 Corinthians 4:1-18) Yearly Theme: “Kindness is… Appreciative” Series Title: “Thankful Kindness” November 5th, 2023 Follow along in the Bible App: https://bible.com/events/49162109 In his first letter to the Corinthian Church in Greece, the Apostle Paul lays out some pretty difficult topics in order to correct some misunderstandings of the Christian faith that had taken root in the assembly there. There were issues of pride, selfishness, greed, sexual sin within the church, and much more that needed to be dealt with in order for the Corinthian Christians to align with the Gospel of Christ. The only way to make it through suffering and pain in this life is to know that the only way out of our darkest moments is to follow the One who went through the valley of the shadow of death and conquered the grave completely. So how can we learn to be thankful and kind even during the darkest moments of life? Let’s read Paul and find out:

1 Corinthians 3:18-19 Every day we are bombarded with powerful images of what it means to be successful. The advertising and entertainment industries feed us with a continual stream of pictures of wealthy, powerful, glamorous and successful people and urge us to be like them. Life was different in Paul's day in so many ways, but the same worldly pressures were present. Here Paul encourages the Corinthian believers to turn their thinking upside down. True wisdom would never be found in following the world's standards and fashions, but only by following their humble, crucified Lord. Paul's particular concern was the way in which the Corinthian Christians had lined themselves up behind different leaders. This was such a waste of time and energy, and was a perfect illustration of acting according to this world's standards. Paul would have none of it. He was simply a servant and the last thing he wanted was to be followed by a group of adoring disciples. Jesus showed the full extent of his love not by being humanly impressive, but by dying on a cross as he was mocked by the crowds. The challenge we face is that we are, every day, encouraged to measure our lives by the world's standards. Our careers, money, homes and cars are what people see and from which they draw conclusions about us. But Jesus urges us to measure our lives by love. To what extent are we giving ourselves to those around us? Are we willing to help the weak and vulnerable, even though we might get no thanks or reward? Are we sharing the good news of the cross of Christ, or are we looking for something that will sound more attractive to modern ears? Every day God is in the radical business of helping us to turn our thinking upside down. Question In what ways has God upended your thinking over the past year? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you are continually challenging me to think as you think. Amen

There are certain truths that we simply must hold onto for dear life! Paul proclaimed those truths and insisted that we must receive them and continue on in those truth in order to be authentic followers of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately some of the Corinthian Christians had a different stand on things--one that was a significant error that Paul simply had to correct!

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul returns to the issue with which he began his letter, namely the dissension that had plagued the congregation.  Here Paul goes to the root of the problem.  The Corinthian Christians had not grown much in their communion with God.  Paul calls them "people of the flesh, infants in Christ" (1 Cor 3:1).  They understood basic spiritual truths, but had not gone very deeply in their grasp of these things.  The evidence of their shallow communion with God was "jealously and strife" (1 Cor 3:3).  In correcting this matter, Paul points the Corinthians to God and away from the earthly allegiances they had attached themselves to … their teachers, Paul and Apollos.  What was needed in this congregation was a deeper spiritual maturity.  This evidence of this would be the capacity to receive "solid food," which leads to a deeper understanding of God and His work in Christ.  The Bible calls on Christians to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet 3:18).  There is a diligence necessary for such growth.  The disciplines of prayer and Bible study and daily confession of sins and meditation on God's truths are not simply good for us … they are crucial for our progress in our journey to the Celestial City. 

In this passage, the Apostle Paul gives instructions on how the Corinthian Christians are to collect a donation for needy Christians in Jerusalem. How do his instructions apply to us today? What is God trying to accomplish through our giving? 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

This week we conclude our series on 2 Corinthians 2:12-6:10. As we have mentioned before, this passage is the longest autobiographical writing we have of Paul. He concludes this small autobiography by commending himself to the Christians of Corinth. Why? One simple answer is from the context. Paul was under attack from enemies of Christ who had infiltrated the church. His defense was not focused on himself but on Jesus Christ and the gospel. False teachers had their aim on Paul, but their target was the gospel. Paul uses the opportunity to showcase and call the Corinthian Christians, and us as well, to pursue lives of holiness no matter the cost, the hardship, or the apparent defeats. Paul entrusted himself to Christ and became the example to us that we can entrust our lives to this worthy King as well. Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Jesus points out that not all suffering or affliction is the direct result of Sin. When the disciples assumed that the man born blind was being punished because of sin…John 2-3 2 His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi (Teacher), who [a]sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but it was so that the works of God might be displayed and illustrated in him Scripture is just as clear, however, that sickness may be the direct result of sin. Because some of the Corinthian Christians had abused and unworthily participated in the Lord's Supper, Paul told them, 30 That [careless and unworthy participation] is the reason why many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep [in death] 1 Cor 11:30 Physical weakness, sickness, and even death can result from persistent sinning. When Ananias and Saphira lied to the church about the proceeds from the sale of their property, they also lied to the Holy Spirit. Their wickedness caused them to die on the spot, (Acts 5:1–11). At the end of 1Timothy we hear Paul giving some instruction to Timothy on handing a few tough situations. He reminds him to 'fight the good fight when contending with false teachers, keeping your faith - leaning completely on God and absolute trust and confidence in His guidance, and having a good conscience, for some people have rejected their moral compass and have made a shipwreck of their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander who I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be disciplined and taught not to blaspheme. - they were expelled from the safety of the church. Perhaps the man did repent. He may be the one spoken of in 2 Corinthians, whom Paul said should be forgiven and comforted and for whom they should reaffirm their love, “in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes” (2:5–11). A disciplined brother is still a brother and is never to be despised, even when unrepentant (2 Thess. 3:14–15). And if he repents, he is to be forgiven and restored in love (Gal. 6:1–2). Idle words: We will be accountable for every idle/careless word. We are held accountable to our WORDS - which the bible helps us to see, are powerful! A follower of Jesus moves into obedience, forfeits the old life, moves into being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, move into purpose filled living with blessings and let's go of the 'worldly things'. https://biblereasons.com/idle-words/ Jesus said, “I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36). The KJV translates “every empty word” as “every idle word”; the ESV says, “every careless word.” The Greek phrase is rema argos, meaning “careless or inactive or unprofitable words.” In context, Jesus is contrasting the “good things” within a good person with the “evil things” in the heart of an evil person. We are admonished to make the best use of our words, because words express what is in our hearts: “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34). Other passages give additional insight. Ephesians 4:29 sets the standard: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” James 3:8 advises us on how hard it is to control the tongue: “No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” Then in James 4:11–12, “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” Given the weighty consequences of our words—even our “careless” ones—we must learn to yield our body's members, including our tongues, to the control of the Holy Spirit—the only One who can tame the tongue. “Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). Scripture for Jesus talking about demons being cast out of a person, going to dry places, coming back with 7 others finding the house is swept clean. Luke 11 24“When a demon is cast out of a person, it goes to wander in a waterless realm, searching for rest. But finding no place to rest, it says, ‘I will go back and reoccupy the body I left.' 25When it returns, it finds the person like a house swept clean and made tidy, but empty. 26Then it goes and enlists seven demons more evil than itself, and they all enter and possess the person, leaving that one in a much worse state than before.” Destroyer(s) words over HUMANITY are LIES You must know what God says about you, you must know His voice, His word and carry it with you everywhere you go Jesus is the LIGHT Lucifer was the Light BEARER/Bringer Deception - scripture references: https://www.openbible.info/topics/deceivers Counter voice - may sound reassuring but it's very destructive Complaining grows the demonic strength/hold and their logs against you will grow Destroyer brings emptiness and art of distraction and self-focus Keeping us away from God's word and purpose for us Self-worth is IN CHRIST - scripture references: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Self-Worth Matthew 22:39-40 37Jesus answered him, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, and with every thought that is within you.' 38This is the great and supreme commandment. 39And the second is like it in importance: ‘You must love your friend in the same way you love yourself.' 40Contained within these commandments to love you will find all the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.” How are you going to love others AS you love yourself, if you're not loving yourself? LEARN WHAT LOVE IS (and what it is NOT) Love - agape - unconditional love - this is how we are to love others Why did Jesus need to come to earth? 1 John 3:8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil Why did Jesus have to die? Colossians 1:13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, Who is the author of Confusion? Conflicts and rebellions have their source in Satan, the author of confusion in both the physical and spiritual worlds. Physical evils in nature and among mankind are among Satan's works that Jesus came to overcome and destroy. From Here's a list of Traps:Complaining,Isolation,Self-pity,Apathy,Shame,Self-doubt,Depression,Worthlessness,despair Send all prayer requests as well as find all resources (including the course on How To Pray – (Myth Busting) by Kellee and Ron here on Kellee's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/KelleePope www.KelleePope.com www.LoudmouthPodcasting.com www.K2Media.us www.Gripped.us

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 Much of this letter to the Corinthian church contains the response of Paul to the Christians there concerning struggles within the fellowship that had come to his attention.  The first issue mentioned in this epistle is the presence of factions within the congregation. Personal allegiance to church leaders had led to tensions between church members.  Some people had preferred the teaching of Paul … others the teaching of Peter.  Some were specifically following Apollos and some were following Christ. The threefold exhortation in 1 Corinthians 1:10 literally reads that the Corinthians should "say the same thing (i.e. agree), have the same mind and the same judgment."  This does not mean that Christians should be able to have the same opinion on everything, but that there is a oneness of purpose and mutual commitment and love.  True unity is not uniformity. The foundation of this harmony is commitment to Christ and the basic doctrines of the gospel of Christ.  To highlight the commitment the Corinthian Christians should have had to Christ, Paul mentions their baptism … the public declaration of their allegiance to the Savior.  Church harmony is not a peripheral issue in the New Testament.  Nor is it a peripheral issue in our day.  Let us be diligent, with all humility and mercy, to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph 4:2,3).

The Corinthian Christians believed that God cared deeply for the souls and spirits, but had no concern for their physical bodies. In Paul's correction, we get a glimpse of the tremendous plans and purpose God has for our bodies.

The Corinthian Christians believed that God cared deeply for the souls and spirits, but had no concern for their physical bodies. In Paul's correction, we get a glimpse of the tremendous plans and purpose God has for our bodies.

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (04/18/23), Hank concludes his overview of the days of Holy Week, arriving at Pascha—also known as Easter. It is the day in which the body of Christ worldwide celebrates the ultimate game-changer—the resurrection of Jesus Christ. “If I face hardships in life for merely human reasons,” wrote Paul in his first letter to the Corinthian Christians, “what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.' If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” Without resurrection, Christianity crumbles. Thus, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the apostle Paul provides a four-part argument underscoring the irrevocable reality of Christ's resurrection. Of one thing Hank has become certain—if twenty-first-century Christians would grasp the reality of resurrection like first-century Christians did, their lives would be totally transformed.

Have you shared God's love on the job lately? Sometimes it seems like the workplace is the last place we can talk about God or share our faith. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians that they were “a letter from Christ. . . written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:3). You can be the word of the living God, a letter of love from Jesus to the people you work with, when you take time to let God's love shine through you. I've given you six ideas on how to do that already. Here are numbers 7 and 8: 7. Smile Are you aware that your body language is louder than the words you speak? It's true, and so we can send messages of love without saying a word. Smiling is surely one of the easiest and most effective ways to do that. All of us can smile; doesn't cost a thing; doesn't take any time. You just have to remember to do it. Proverbs reminds us that, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart. . .” (Proverbs 15:30). So, why don't we work harder at smiling more? I'm not advocating phony, insincere smiles, but many of us just have to work at smiling more. We feel smiles on the inside, but don't show them on our faces. That's my problem, I know, so I really try to remember to smile more. Some of you were born with smiles on your face, so it comes easy for you. But some of us have to remember to smile, because it brings joy to the heart, and it shares a little of God's love with others. 8. Do the “dirty work” sometimes, even if it's not your job. There are always those things that need to be done in a workplace environment that nobody really wants to do. They aren't in anyone's job description. Things like cleaning the kitchen or making the coffee; cleaning up after a meeting or tidying up the general work area. In smaller workplaces, it might be things like taking out the trash or taking the mail to the post office. If you just do those things occasionally, without being asked and without grumbling, it would be a good way to show a loving, caring attitude toward the people you work with and for. Too often we think that the only way we can witness for Jesus is through the words we say—quoting Scripture or giving our testimony or explaining the four spiritual laws. And frankly, there are not many opportunities in any given day to do that. But there are countless ways to show the love of God through our actions and our attitudes. But we have to make a decision to be intentional about it.

Have you shared God's love on the job lately? Sometimes it seems like the workplace is the last place we can talk about God or share our faith. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians that they were “a letter from Christ. . . written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:3). You can be the word of the living God, a letter of love from Jesus to the people you work with, when you take time to let God's love shine through you. I've given you six ideas on how to do that already. Here are numbers 7 and 8: 7. Smile Are you aware that your body language is louder than the words you speak? It's true, and so we can send messages of love without saying a word. Smiling is surely one of the easiest and most effective ways to do that. All of us can smile; doesn't cost a thing; doesn't take any time. You just have to remember to do it. Proverbs reminds us that, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart. . .” (Proverbs 15:30). So, why don't we work harder at smiling more? I'm not advocating phony, insincere smiles, but many of us just have to work at smiling more. We feel smiles on the inside, but don't show them on our faces. That's my problem, I know, so I really try to remember to smile more. Some of you were born with smiles on your face, so it comes easy for you. But some of us have to remember to smile, because it brings joy to the heart, and it shares a little of God's love with others. 8. Do the “dirty work” sometimes, even if it's not your job. There are always those things that need to be done in a workplace environment that nobody really wants to do. They aren't in anyone's job description. Things like cleaning the kitchen or making the coffee; cleaning up after a meeting or tidying up the general work area. In smaller workplaces, it might be things like taking out the trash or taking the mail to the post office. If you just do those things occasionally, without being asked and without grumbling, it would be a good way to show a loving, caring attitude toward the people you work with and for. Too often we think that the only way we can witness for Jesus is through the words we say—quoting Scripture or giving our testimony or explaining the four spiritual laws. And frankly, there are not many opportunities in any given day to do that. But there are countless ways to show the love of God through our actions and our attitudes. But we have to make a decision to be intentional about it.

The buzz in the room faded to a comfortable silence as the book club leader summarized the novel the group would discuss. My friend Joan listened closely but didn’t recognize the plot. Finally, she realized she had read a nonfiction book with a similar title to the work of fiction the others had read. Although she enjoyed reading the “wrong” book, she couldn’t join her friends as they discussed the “right” book. The apostle Paul did not want the Corinthian Christians to believe in a “wrong” Jesus. He pointed out that false teachers had infiltrated the church and presented a different “Jesus” to the congregation (2 Corinthians 11:3–4). He also noted that the people swallowed the lies without much resistance. Paul didn’t describe the heresy these phony teachers tried to pass off as truth. In his first letter to the church, however, he reviewed some facts about the Jesus of scripture. This Jesus was the Messiah who “died for our sins…was raised on the third day…[and then] appeared to the Twelve, and finally to Paul himself” (1 Corinthians 15:3–8). This Jesus had come to earth through a virgin named Mary and was named Immanuel (God with us) to affirm His divine nature (Matthew 1:20-23). Does this sound like the Jesus you know? Understanding and accepting the truth written in the Bible about Jesus is important. It assures us that we are on the spiritual path that leads to heaven.

Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Lutheran Church of the Deaf in Austin, TX, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 14:1-25. St. Paul continues his admonishment that the Corinthian Christians act out their faith in love toward one another. This time, he turns his attention again toward spiritual gifts. In chapter 12, he spoke at length of the diversity of spiritual gifts, but it's clear the Corinthians valued the gift of tongues over all the others. The Apostle isn't against speaking in tongues, but does that show love? If one speaks of God in a language foreign to his hearers, how can they be built up? Isn't he just showing off his ability to speak in other languages? Instead, St. Paul urges them to seek the gift of prophecy. Like speaking in tongues, the gift of prophecy might not be what you think. In this episode, Pastors Booe and Wolfmueller consider St. Paul's teaching here and how it has been misunderstood by many.

Rev. Adam DeGroot, pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Rio Rancho, NM, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. St. Paul had firmly established that spiritual gifts are all from the one and same God through the Holy Spirit. He urged the Corinthian Christians not to pride themselves on their particular gifts, but to use those gifts in service to one another. In this section, he turns to one of his favorite analogies: the body and its many members. Although the various parts of the body have different functions, some more honorable than others, they all work together as one. Likewise, Christians are to recognize the differing gifts as all interdependent in service to the body of Christ. In this episode, Pastors Booe and DeGroot look at the value of vocations and the diversity of gifts in the church.

Rev. Joshua Frazee, associate pastor St. John's Lutheran Church, Mayville, WI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. St. Paul turns to spiritual gifts in this part of his letter to the Corinthian Christians. Although he'll go into greater detail in chapter fourteen, his main focus here is to point his hearers to the source of all spiritual gifts: the Holy Spirit. Undoubtedly, the Corinthians valued power and prestige. As they looked out upon the pagan landscape and saw so-called spiritual people with seemingly great abilities, they began to treat the gifts of God in the same way, as a means to set oneself apart from others. The apostle sets them straight: all gifts are from God and are to be used for the common good. In this episode, Pastors Booe and Frazee explore these principles and walk through each gift listed to talk about what it might look like today.

Rev. Brian Davies, pastor of Lord of Glory Lutheran Church in Grayslake, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 10:23-33. “All things are lawful!” What a misunderstanding of Christian freedom. Because of the forgiveness of Christ, the Corinthian Christians mistakenly thought that they could live any way they please. St. Paul addresses this error by reminding them that while Christians indeed have freedom in Christ, it's not to satisfy one's own sinful desires but to be used in service toward others. The issue of the day was eating meat sacrificed to idols, but it's just as applicable today in how we live out our faith. In this episode, Pastors Booe and Davies explore the freedom we have in Christ and how we can give glory to God in the things we do.

Rev. John Lukomski, co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 10:1-22. Find Wrestling with the Basics at kfuo.org/WrestlingWithTheBasics. The Corinthian Christians held up their participation in the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper as proof that they couldn't be led astray, at least not easily. And yet: Idolatry. Sexual immorality. Putting God to the test. Grumbling. These things were happening in Corinth, but they had also happened to the people of the Old Testament. Even after they, figuratively speaking, were baptized in the Red Sea and communed upon the manna and spiritual water from the rock. If God's people of old could disqualify themselves from salvation by their actions, so could the Corinthians. Nevertheless, the Apostle gives them a word of comfort. He writes, “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.” In this episode, Pastors Booe and Lukomski set the record straight on this thoroughly law and gospel passage.

Rev. Curtis Deterding, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, FL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 7:25-40. God had not given St. Paul any specific commands to pass down regarding those who were unmarried, whether they should remain that way. But in view of food shortages in Corinth, the multitude of spiritual problems in the congregation, and the Apostle's belief that Christ would return soon, he gave his own judgment on the matter. Specifically, if one were not married, he or she should remain that way. However, if one desired to marry or couldn't control their sexual urges, it wasn't a sin to marry. St. Paul wasn't anti-marriage; he simply wanted the Corinthian Christians to thrive in Christ and avoid worldly anxieties. In this episode, Pastors Booe and Deterding walk through this text while asking, how does this apply today?

Rev. Keith Weise, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and chaplain of the Good Shepherd Community in Sauk Rapids, MN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. The Corinthian Christians, not unlike many today, were obsessed with self-improvement and getting ahead in life. St. Paul turns the tables on that idea and tells them, “Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” (v. 17) Uncircumcised or circumcised? Stay that way. Free person or bondservant? Don't worry about it. In Christ, those who are free are servants of God and those who are servants are free in Christ. In this episode, Pastors Booe and Weise explore what St. Paul means by, “Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.” (v. 20)

Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 7:1-16. The Corinthian Christians did not have a healthy understanding of sexuality. God calls Christians to self-control, while the world urges people to give in to every desire. It's no wonder then that at least some in Corinth thought it would be best to avoid sexual activity all together. St. Paul urges them to embrace a better understanding: reserve sexual activity for marriage, as God designed. In this episode, Pastors Booe and Shank reflect on the Apostles' teaching and how similar Corinth was to our world today.

Rev. George Murdaugh, pastor emeritus, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 4. The Corinthian Christians, like most, were heavily influenced by their culture. They lived in a time when wisdom, wealth, and power were highly valued—not unlike today! So how were the Apostles regarded? Probably as powerful and influential by the Corinthian Christians, holding a position to aspire to. St. Paul sets them straight. While apostles, and evangelists, and even pastors are “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (v.1), the word looks upon the church differently. The Corinthians loved prestige, but leadership in the church is about humility and service. This episode features Pastors Booe and Murdaugh reflecting on all these things and more.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, reflects on Great and Holy Pascha in Eastern Orthodox Holy Week. On Pascha (Easter), the culmination of Holy Week, along with the body of Christ worldwide, we celebrate the ultimate game changer. If I face hardships in life “for merely human reasons,” wrote Paul in his first letter to the Corinthian Christians, “what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'” Paul states directly, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” Without resurrection, Christianity crumbles. Thus, in 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul provides a four-part argument underscoring the irrevocable reality of Christ's resurrection. For further study, see Hank Hanegraaff's article, “The FEAT of Resurrection,” and his book Resurrection.